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“Paint a yellow brick road leading up to the arena,” Joe Miceli says sarcastically to the Estero Design Review Board during a meeting on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. Miceli was among many community residents opposing Hertz’s plan to paint Germain Arena a yellow. Kinfay Moroti

Estero Design Review Board members William Glass, left, and Michael Sheeley listen to community input during a meeting on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. The board gathered information from Hertz and the community about Hertz’s plan to paint Germain Arena yellow. Kinfay Moroti

Craig Brush, the President of the Florida Everblades, center, attends a meeting with the Estero Design Review Board on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. Hertz’s plan to paint Germain Arena yellow was discussed. Kinfay Moroti

Steve Novak was among the Tidewater residents who opposes Hertz painting Germain Arena yellow. Novak presented a rendering he created to the Estero Design Review Board on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. Kinfay Moroti

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“Paint a yellow brick road leading up to the arena,” Joe Miceli says sarcastically to the Estero Design Review Board during a meeting on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. Miceli was among many community residents opposing Hertz’s plan to paint Germain Arena a yellow.(Photo: Kinfay Moroti)

A week after Hertz announced its plans to paint Germain Arena in Estero a shade of bright yellow, members of the village’s Design Review Board had their say on the proposed color scheme Wednesday night.

Most board members said the plans need work before they are approved.

“It’s a dominant, dominant building in the community,” board member Michael Sheeley said of the arena. “I would think there is a way that the branding can be retained and still allow the building to be a little more harmonious with our community.”

Wednesday’s meeting of Estero’s Design Review Board, which examines architecture and landscaping of new development, was the first time the board and Estero residents publicly heard and commented on the plans to paint Germain Arena a shade of “Hertz Yellow.”

Design Review Board members at the meeting said they wanted to see more work done on the color scheme to conform to the village’s standards.

“I’m tickled to death Hertz is here. I think it’s a wonderful thing,” said Design Review Board Chairman Bill Glass. “Turning this building into a billboard is not my idea on how to do it.”

“We all want to make this work. I don’t think we have a solution here. We have a first step,” Glass said.

Steve Novak was among the Tidewater residents who opposes Hertz painting Germain Arena yellow. Novak presented a rendering he created to the Estero Design Review Board on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall.(Photo: Kinfay Moroti)

Board member Barry Jones suggested the companies look at color design options that would help break up the appearance of the size of the arena.

“Going with a single, monolithic color with a structure like that, the building is too iconic,” Jones said. “People know when they’re driving down the highway that they’re in Estero when they see this building.”

Representatives of Hertz and Germain Arena said they were open to the feedback from the board.

“We’ll get with Hertz and see what’s acceptable with them,” said Scott Bryant, senior vice president of Germain Arena.

Jayesh Patel, a senior vice president of branding for Hertz, said the company can look for solutions that would work for the board.

Having yellow toward the top of the arena is important for Hertz, he said.

“For us, matching the logo with our color, which is iconic, we think that’s incredibly important for everyone that drives by on I-75,” he said.

Estero Design Review Board members William Glass, left, and Michael Sheeley listen to community input during a meeting on Wednesday at Estero Village Hall. The board gathered information from Hertz and the community about Hertz’s plan to paint Germain Arena yellow.(Photo: Kinfay Moroti)

“In my opinion, this color is garish and ugly. I don’t want to stare at it for the next 20 years,” Novak said. “I don’t want to move. We love our neighbors and friends in Tidewater. We love Estero. We just don’t want the arena painted in that color.”